Emaciated chicken

[tortoise]

One of my silkies is emaciated. IDK if he was bullied and didnt have access to food, but that makes sense. He was limp and laying on his back in the coop.

I put him in a box with a heating pad, and am giving him unflavored pedialyte with a syringe and karo on a toothpick. I soaked pellets in pedialyte but IDK if he can handle that? Maybe if I dilute it?

 

[tortoise]

I syringed pedialyte every 10 minutes for an hour. Then made a slurry of pellets and pedialyte and fed that with a large syringe. He perked up enough to swallow and hold his head up. Hopefully I'm on the right track. I'm a little concerned about refeeding/overfeeding. I have no idea how much he should eat.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ah - poor guy! Maybe if you make a slurry out of it you can get it through a syringe for him. Might have to cut the end off the syringe so it'll go through. Hope he gets better for you!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

LOL - we posted at the same time!

 

[tortoise]

Ah - poor guy! Maybe if you make a slurry out of it you can get it through a syringe for him. Might have to cut the end off the syringe so it'll go through. Hope he gets better for you!

We posted at the same time! I just used an 80 mL syringe that I use for tube feeding lambs. The opening was big enough. A 3 mL syringe was too small and clogged up.

I'm contemplating a better animal first aid kit. At least for birds. DH's vet truck is usually here so I've never bothered. But he is not a chicken vet! He told me to google it 💀

 

[tortoise]

EmerAid Feeding Protocols For Starving Or Emaciated Seabirds - EmerAidVet

Emeraid feeding protocols for starving or emaciated seabirds

emeraid.com

Not for chickens, but its giving me an idea of what to do

 

[tortoise]

Why is your chicken wasting away? — The Featherbrain

I had a chicken named Goldie whom I adored to the moon and back. She was beautiful, smart, and full of life. And really that was true right up to the moment of her death. This is despite the fact she had been wasting away for weeks and was completely emaciated at th

www.thefeatherbrain.com

Very helpful article!

 

[tortoise]

Internet says he should eat 12 Tablespoons (3/4 cup) per day. He has had 2 T.

He is leaking liquid from his beak when tipped, as in from gravity rather than regurgitation. I probably used too much pedialyte? or he's not absorbing fluids? IDK.

I reheated his heating pad, now to figure out the liquid issue.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

2T is better than nothing - and it sounds like that is what he's been getting

 

[tortoise]

Internet says chicken crop holds about 1.5 oz and takes 2-4 hours to empty. I think I just gave too much.

He is looking poorly again. I suspect too warm? I took the heat pad out.

I'll check his crop on a couple hours and syringe feed if its empty? If I can wake up. And if he is still alive.